Jane Perrone's organic gardening blog

December 23, 2006

Heritage Seed Library haul for 2007

My allocation of seeds from the Heritage Seed Library have shown up as a pre-Christmas treat. I got my top six choices, plus a "lucky dip" option which always seems to consist of tomato seeds (which is fine by me - given my addiction to growing the things!).

I got the following packets:

Mangel Yellow Intermediate - this is a beet, a yellow one. I've grown Burpees Golden in past years but was interested to try this varietySquash Lady Godiva - an interesting one, this, because the seeds lack an outer coating and are therefore good for eatingCarrot Afghan Purple - I've grown every other shade but this will be my first purpleLettuce Liller - I have no recollection of why I chose this one, but you can never have too much lettuce seed, in my opinionLeek Walton Mammoth - my leeks tend to the small and tasty rather than the big and showstopping, so I thought I'd give this one a goPea Mr Bethell's Purple Podded - yes, I do love growing purple things, don't I?

And the lucky dip ...Tomato Peremoga - know nothing about this one, will have to dig out the HSL catalogue to see what I am letting myself in for ...

If anyone has some intelligence on any of my seedy charges, do let me know ...

9 Comments

Mangel beets are making a comeback after many years of decline. I think the trick is to eat them before they get too big, after which they lose a lot of their flavor. They are not really my favorite. They are very popular as a livestock food with some farmers.

I'm also growing Mr. Bethell's for the first time this year.

I don't know anything about the others. Save some seeds from them if they are nice!

Yellow Intermediate is a variety of Mangel my Dad used to grow as cattle fodder - they would often grow huge, big enough to carve like folks do pumpkins these days.
We never ate them, although they make good wine. I imagine the sprouting tops in spring would be like leaf beet.
The best use for them is likely offered by this web site:
http://www.mangoldhurling.co.uk/
Happy growing with your HSL seeds, I haven't ordered mine yet - I think Peas will be my 2007 theme.
Cheers

Hello. I notice you are going to try Lady Godiva. I had what I consider great success this year with it. Out of three plants I harvested seven pumpkins. The total seed jackpot weighed in at 1 and 1/4 pounds.
Pictures on my blog.
Happy growing.

Hi
I was just checking out info on my HDRA seeds today and came across your blog. The Peremaga toms are from Estonia - photo here http://www.ghorganics.com/Peremoga.htm
I got your site second so have yet to get full info on peremoga. Will post again if anyting interesting crops up. No pun intended!
Helen
Mine sown today 14/01/07

and .......'Peremoga: 70 days. Medium red from 3-6 oz, indeterminate. Sweet, juicy with a superb acid to sugar balance. It is hard to pick a favorite from all these delicious tomatoes but Peremoga is up there! It hails originally from Estonia. Healthy plants with tremendous yields.'
So we're in for some good tasting tomatoes.
Helen (keen cook and allotment chairman)

we have a trees of grapes in our garden but we didn't eat grapes we make fresh juice and my father now the recipe to make good grape wine and that was too much tasty i don't know what other indegrents he put in it but its too enjoyable wine